Ryan Bruce Last Armada

[dave1812]

I just saw this on YT and had to share it!

I gotta say, i tried the Armada back in 2012 and really loved the Design, though i wasn't a huge fan of the "Dorito"
But this leaves me thinking, had they released the Armada in this Gun Metal Finish and maybe Pearl White it might have taken off like a Rocket!
What do you Guys think?!

 

[beej]

Wow- that looks badass! I don't know how it would have affected sales, but personally I prefer it painted solid like that.

 

[Rbg]

Never liked the armada, but this is great! I would buy it like this for sure if I needed a set neck guitar

 

[Ted]

I never really cared for the original Armada-- which is a shame, because one could tell by looking at it that a lot of design effort went into it. Maybe the name "Armada" always felt a bit weird having a plural connotation for a singular object (just my verbal OCD kicking in). But it was always an interesting and original design.

.... Now THAT GUITAR in that video. That whole thing just looks so right to me. The only thing I don't like would be (like I mentioned before) that the satin finish will eventually look spotty from play. But that color and the solid finish with the binding and black hardware, etc-- WOW. If they rereleased the Armada and did it in some finishes like these or some bright solid colors--or a burst and/or sparkle-- getting rid of the dorito, I might be interested. Might be too much work to retool the line for the Armada again, but it could be a great surprise BFR drop.

 

[Mixolydian82]

I LOVED the Armada design and wish it was still offered today. Ryan's is very cool, but I didn't mind the different woods surrounded by the old-timey pinstriping. I thought that was so rad.

 

[fogman]

Yup, never like the Armada. Getting rid of the "Dorito" and going with a full body paint job is a massive improvement.
Now get rid of the neck binding and inlays in place of traditional Music Man dots... then it would definitely be something I'd consider purchasing.

 

[dave1812]

I think the only gripe i got left about the Armada is the shorter Scale. I believe it was 24.75“ iirc and potentially the weight.
Otherwise the Gun Metal Armada, preferably High Gloss, would be a really nice Guitar to have.

 

[xjbebop]

Great story, wicked guitar!

 

[dibart77]

I always thought the Armada looked great, but I couldn't get on with the scale length and the neck. It just didn't feel right to me. Which is a bummer because I think it is a great original design.

 

[GoKart Mozart]

I always thought the Armada looked great, but I couldn't get on with the scale length and the neck. It just didn't feel right to me. Which is a bummer because I think it is a great original design.

Same experience here. I found a great deal on a used one a few months ago and tried it out. The neck definitely felt wider and thicker and the body felt longer as well. Also, where the guitar sits when you play it makes the neck feel extra long...kind of like when you play a SG.

In summary, all of the predecessors in the MM line have spoiled me due to their compactness and comfy size. haha
-Jacob

 

[JasonT]

That Armada is nails!!! Love it! Definitely thought the Armada had more potential, but it must’ve been too different for most guitarists.

 

[Bungholi0]

Wow, such a simple change has really transformed the guitar and probably opened it up to another market segment. It looks like a modern guitar now where the old color scheme gave it too much of a retro vibe.

 

[wannarock8]

Back when the Armada was introduced, I had my Hamer USA guitars (still do) and felt like I didn’t need another single cut, 24 3/4” scale mahogany guitar. Now I sorta wish I had gotten one just for the cool factor.

 

[ZaxZumu]

I wish they'd bring it back as a solid color option, maybe even a Sterling version with less of a carve or something to reduce costs. Personally I'd wanna see some of the colors they brought in for the new stingray basses, like the pueblo pink, or even just a gunmetal grey with black hardware paired with a pearl white with gold hardware. Bonus points for a baritone or other extended range model.

 

[tbonesullivan]

Oh mannnn! I wonder what color it was before it got painted over...

 

[ZaxZumu]

Oh mannnn! I wonder what color it was before it got painted over...

He showed an example in the picture and briefly said it was blue. I don't think the picture was of THAT guitar, but it was of the same color so it was probably there just to show what it would've looked like.

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say it may have been Diablo Blue, since this was made near the end of the line, but I can't imagine one going in the trash bucket looking like this...